"Sonny!" Carly tore through the front door, slamming it soundly behind her as she raced for the den. "Sonny - where are you?"

"Who's on fire now?"

"You'll never believe what just happened!"

Sonny dropped a cube of ice in a glass and poured a drink of the scotch he'd been donning since his talk at the warehouse. His mind was still reeling from the conversation and he knew Carly's was too, having heard from the man calling himself Jason, of their earlier encounter. Turning from the bar to hand her the glass, he nodded calmly.

"You're right - I don't."

"What?"

"I saw him too." He refreshed his own glass and took Carly's hand to lead her to the sofa to sit.

"You did? Where?"

"He showed up like Jason always does - when I needed him the most. I thought it was Max at first, until I heard that voice." Sonny took a drink and swallowed hard. It had been a really long time since anything had shaken him the way it had that day.

"What is going on? Is he, Sonny? Is he…"

"NO!"

"How can you be so sure? He knows things — he keeps saying things he has no way of knowing unless…"

"I know." He'd been racking his brain with the same questions since he got back, not coming up with anything that would explain the morning.

"Then how can you say for certain that's not him?"

"Think about it, Carly - do you believe in your gut that's our friend?"

She took a drink from the neglected glass she held then got up from the sofa nervously, pacing back and forth in utter confusion.

"I don't know what to think! I got the DNA test myself - I was there the whole time and I was the only one, besides the doctor to handle it. It said clear as day he was Jason!"

"Really think, Carly. Would a stranger feel the need to do the things Jason has done for us since he got back? He had amnesia, couldn't stand a bone in my body, yet appeared outta nowhere and saved my life in that warehouse. He showed up for me!"

"But you said this guy just did too."

Shaking his head, Sonny got up and refilled his glass again. "This was different. This felt…rehearsed, somehow."

"What do you mean, rehearsed? You think he set you up?"

"I don't know…but I've never seen those two before, have no idea who they worked for. One said something about his father, but I have no clue who his father was. The timing was just a little too perfect, makes this guy look too good."

"What two? Sonny, what exactly happened? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." He told her of his latest close call and set about calming her down when she became alarmed hearing how he almost died again. "Not a scratch, see? Nothing I haven't lived through before. And I didn't get the impression there was something else brewing either. Our biggest problem right now is this new guy trying to impersonate Jason."

Carly sat heavily on the sofa again. "Oh my God, Sonny, I have no idea what to think. When I look at my friend I know him, I know it's him. He moves like Jason, he's good to me like Jason's always been…but then I think about the year he lived among us and none of us recognized him! I see how he's different in so many ways, and then this guy shows up…he looks exactly like Jason used to look, knows everything about our past and insists that he's Jason - Sonny, what the hell do we do?"

Sonny handed her his glass and took the empty one from her trembling hands. "Here, take another drink." He couldn't blame her - he'd lost count of the number he'd downed since he walked back into the house and he was still feeling uneasy.

Taking the glass from his hand, Carly placed it on the coffee table before her. "I don't want another drink, Sonny - I want answers! If this is really Jason and we deny him - after he's lost so much of his life - he makes his way home and we've already handed it over to a stranger?" She covered closed eyes with both hands as she fell back against the sofa and looked blindly to the ceiling. "Oh, God what is happening?"

"Look, I understand your doubts, I do, but you're missing the bigger picture."

"I am?" She moved her hands down, interest piqued.

"You think you didn't recognize Jason for a whole year, but you did. You had no idea who he was, yet you bonded with this perfect stranger, in the hospital no less, and took him under your wing almost immediately. You told me you were able to talk to him from the very beginning, remember? How many people have you been able to do that with - to just jump right into telling them all about your life, in the middle of a hospital?"

Sitting up, Carly felt her heart leap at the memory Sonny was describing. "They say you can say things to a perfect stranger you'd never say to a friend though."

"Yeah? And the way you looked out for him…gave him a job when he was the world's worse bartender - what was that?"

The smile formed naturally at the memory of tasting 'Jake's' first cocktail. "He really was lousy…which makes sense…Jason was never much of a drinker. Beer was always his go to."

"That's right. And don't forget Michael. He did the same thing with Michael - they clicked instantly too."

"But you didn't. He hated you."

"But still came through."

She nodded in deep thought. "That's true - he did. So who do you think this guy is?"

"I don't know…but I gave him a job."

"You did what?"

"He's up to something, and the fastest way to find out what it is, is to keep him real close."

Even though she agreed, Carly couldn't help being worried of the outcome. "I know you know what you're doing but please be careful. He obviously has an agenda - he could be deadly for all we know."

"Oh, I know he is. I saw him in action today."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"Elizabeth, you should eat something."

Nikolas could not bear to see his friend in the state she was in. She'd been crying for what seemed like days, since the minute she got back from chasing Jason Morgan over to Lucky's. He'd been trying since to get her to eat but she refused every single time. Now was no different, as she shook her head listlessly where she sat in the garden watching the pond and swiping at the constant stream of tears. Taking a seat next to her on the iron bench, he gathered her into his arms and pressed her head to his shoulder.

"You are going to make yourself sick, carrying on like this. You have to take care of yourself, for Jake."

"What's the point, Nikolas? Jake will hate me now - he'll probably hate me forever, after today."

"That's not true. Your boys all love you - they could never hate you. Nobody who knows you could."

"Jason does." The name brought a fresh stream of tears as her heart ripped from her chest. He hated her for certain this time.

"Jason Morgan is an idiot and I keep telling you you're better off without him. Now stop this - you need to pull yourself together - you still have to tell Jake."

"I don't want to." She eased her head from its perch on his shoulder and wiped at her eyes. "He's still recovering from his cold - I don't know why Lucky is insisting on telling him right away. Just so he'll hate me."

"Jake is fine, he's playing with the other boys and Spencer, so he's getting his strength back. Lucky just wants everything out in the open so everybody involved can move past this. You should want that too."

"I don't want to move past it, Nikolas…I want Jason to be Jake's dad. I've always wanted that."

"But he isn't, so stop torturing yourself wishing for something you can't change. That's how you ended up in this mess to begin with."

Chafed at the accusation, she moved fully away from his arms and stood facing him huffily, "It's not my fault my heart wants what it wants."

Nikolas rose to his feet in front of her. "Actually, it is…you've known for a really long time that Jason is in love with my cousin, but you don't seem to care. You purposely set out to be a wedge between them and you're still doing it, despite the fact that it keeps smashing you over the head." When she looked shocked at his words, he felt the usual softening to her and sighed, "Look, I'm not saying this to hurt you - I'm saying you need to take stock and realize how you're constantly sabotaging yourself. You have to stop…it's not doing you any good."

"You're supposed to be my friend - how can you say these things to me?"

"I am your friend, which is why I can say these things and I should've been saying them all along. I'm also Sam's cousin and I happen to care very much about her well being."

"I've known you a helluva lot longer than she has, Nikolas - you can't take her side over mine!"

"I'm not choosing sides. I'm pointing out the obvious, since you refuse to let it sink in, for whatever idiotic reason. You keep setting yourself up for a world of hurt and when it happens you're the one left in pain, can't you see that? Look at what you're doing right now? Do you think Jason or Lucky are somewhere crying their eyes out…or even Sam, for that matter? No, you're the one feeling the worst for it - again!"

Tears kept blinding her and she kept brushing them away. "It's because your cousin won't go away! Jason and I would be so happy right now if she'd just stayed away from him…we'd be married and raising our son in peace."

"You're blaming Sam for Jason not keeping promises built on lies and for Lucky finding out about Jake! Don't you see how asinine that is? Sam is not the reason for every dark cloud that forms over your head, Elizabeth - just like she's not at fault for you lying about Jake's paternity."

"Yes, she is! If she hadn't been buzzing around Jason trying to get him back in her snare I wouldn't have had to lie to him to get him away from her. She knew he'd proposed to me, so she kept badgering him about getting back together. She also knew I couldn't leave Lucky when he needed me, just like she knew I was who Jason really wanted."

Nikolas had heard enough. Turning from her towards the launch, he flashed his hands in exasperation, "You're going to do what you want - you always do. Just don't be surprised when you find out how wrong you've been - hopefully before whatever you do blows up in your face again."

She watched him leave, huffing anew at his dismissal. Whatever! She knew the truth.

"There you are…" Lucky came into view from the back of the house, "they're waiting for us in the library - let's go."

Elizabeth watched his back turn as he returned to the house without waiting to see if she'd follow. She had no choice. She wasn't ready. She'd never be ready to tell Jake the horrible truth…but they would just tell him without her there to soothe the anger he was going to feel towards her. They would just twist everything to make it her fault like they always did. As much as she wasn't ready to face Jason's disapproving look again, she was also anxious to see him.

He was the first person her eyes fell upon on her entrance to the library, the sight of him standing by the fireplace with both hands stuffed inside the front pockets of his jeans, slightly rocking back and forth on his heels in that way he had of controlling anxious energy. Her eyes darted briefly to their son sitting with Lucky on the sofa, poring over the game in his hands, then ripped back over to the fireplace, softening at the sight of the man she loved…then hardening instantly when she realized for the first time he hadn't arrived alone.

"What is she doing here?" Locking eyes on the unwelcome woman, she walked into the room and approached them coldly, "This is about us, Jason - she shouldn't be here."

Jason eased closer to Sam, who instinctively leaned into him in response as he eyed the nurse with distaste. "Who're you to tell my wife where she belongs? Why don't you quit worrying about Sam and focus on why you're about to tear that little boy's heart out for no damn reason?"

Recoiling as though slapped twice in one breath, she clamped her mouth shut and looked over to where Jake had lain the game down at Lucky's request and was intent on something he was saying. The next hour was like an aching blur…from Lucky uttering the hideous words, to Jake's total confusion, to Jason soothing and assuring him he'd always be there if he needed him…she couldn't make herself feel present in that room. It was as if she was outside herself watching it all unfold, even when her son looked to her in tears.

"Mom? Dad is not my dad?"

But she couldn't answer him. Her own tears blinded and numbed her, his words scorching to her ears, sounding farther and farther, echoing over and over. It was happening and she couldn't stop it. They had all ganged up on her to bring her world crashing down and she knew who was at the helm of the plans to unravel her life.

"YOU!" Swinging towards the loathed woman, she scoured her with contempt, "This is all YOUR fault!" The next minute, she was grabbed by the arm and was being dragged unceremoniously through the door and into the adjoining den. "Let go of me - don't put your filthy hands on me!" But the grip was vice tight and unyielding until they were behind the closed door in the room, where Sam spun her roughly to face her.

"You selfish, pointless bitch - do you even realize what's happening in that room? This is no longer about you, you fucking pariah! Your son and two men who love him to death, are devastated because of you, and all you can do is act like the spoiled, self-serving little rodent you've always been…instead of being sorry or apologetic, instead of showing up as his mother - you want to throw a fucking tantrum in front of him? HE'S the child!"

"Don't you dare lecture me - none of this would be happening if it wasn't for you!"

Her mouth falling open in shock, Sam took a step back to contemplate the woman in confusion. "Are you serious? What the hell are you talking about?"

"Don't play innocent! Don't play dumb! I wouldn't have had to lie to Jason and Lucky if I didn't have to protect him from you! You're this pestilence that refuses to go away, no matter what I do. I had to lie to the man I love to get him out of your clutches once and for all!"

The hysterical laughter that broke from her throat surprised Sam. She hadn't intended to laugh, there was nothing funny in the least…but this bitch was really batshit crazy!

"You lied to protect them from me? And how did that work out for you? Because I remember marrying one and screwing the other senseless on a regular basis before that! I'm still standing, still as rooted as I've ever been, and not going a damn where anytime soon, so how's it working out for you - in your winner's circle on the outside of everything?"

Elizabeth never felt so much hatred for one human being before in her life. "Keep it up! You'll get what's coming to you soon enough."

The dry laugh sounded once again. "Oh, you mean your pal, Ian? Wait, you weren't his one phonecall after he got his sorry ass kicked and thrown in jail for being stupid?" When surprise dawned behind eyes that held more, Sam got the answer to her earlier assumption. "Like I don't know you're the 'friend' who advised him I'd enjoy being attacked as foreplay? You are one desperate, psychotic excuse for a woman, and if your son wasn't so traumatized next door right now, I'd use that snippy face of yours to wipe this floor clean! Newsflash lady - it'll take a helluva lot more than one despo ho and a wimpy photographer to impact me or mine!"

"Screw you, Sam! Nobody wants you here, can't you see that? Just leave!"

"No, you have that wrong sweetheart! That I am very much wanted is exactly what you're choking on!" Eyes narrowing, Sam mentally chastised herself for being so silly, softly uttering the thoughts that had tormented her at one point, "I can remember feeling so jealous of you…having Jason's child, his friendship, his love…back then I thought I'd never be able to compete with that…but look at you? It was nothing but smoke and mirrors, orchestrated by a jealous, covetous, envious, relentless, inadequate shrew! Where the hell did I ever see competition?"

"I did have him! He came running to offer himself to me and I didn't even have to try…that's what was killing you!"

"But you did try! You tried and tried to come between us with your daily trips to the penthouse, to the docks - crying on his shoulder day in and day out about your pathetic life, putting on your feeble little act about planning to raise your children alone - like you have any virtue whatsoever! You tried everything to get him to mount that white horse of his and come galloping to your rescue…bitch, you're still trying right now - and it's still not working! But you won't give up, will you?"

"Why shouldn't I have him - you never deserved him! Just some greedy whore who fucked her mother's husband and half the men in this town!"

"Who you can't get a good night's sleep around because I plague your weak, sorry mind night and day. You're so worried 'bout lil ole me your tear ducts stay overworked and overproducing!" Jeeringly, Sam advanced slowly to send the woman backing away from her. "You think about me so much I bet you can't eat, you can't sleep - you can't even mother your children like a sane person. What's wrong, Lizzy? Losing your marbles again?"

"SHUT UP! Shut your filthy mouth!"

"Or what…why don't you shut it for me?" When she obviously realized the futility in that act and tried to move around Sam instead, Sam grabbed her roughly by the arm and yanked her back into place, restraining from breaking the feeble thing just to watch her writhe in agony. "Do you have any idea the damage you did? Any clue what Jason and I lost because of you? You weren't so much as a blip on our lives 'til you showed up pregnant, and you knew it! Just like you knew Jason didn't leave me because he didn't love me - it was the exact opposite! But you knew all that! You knew the kind of pain he was in and you just used it to your conniving benefit! Do you have any clue the hell your little stunt put us through?"

She yanked her arm free, Sam's deep grip leaving marks that she rubbed gingerly as she glared at the angry eyes boring through her.

"Why would I care - I was the one meant to carry Jason's baby - not you!"

"Carrying a baby doesn't make you 'forever,' you acid cunt! You could've given him a dozen and you still wouldn't mean a damn thing more to him than you do right now…which isn't very much at all, from where I'm standing!"

When the sting of the truth of Jason's rejection slammed her smack in the chest, Elizabeth swung a slap towards Sam's face, only to have it stopped midair when Sam used a left to block her and a right to fire a punch she didn't see coming. Grabbing her nose to bend over in agonizing pain, she yelped in fright there could be more coming.

"Hhhooooaah!" She pulled her hand away to blood streaming her fingers. "You bitch! You broke my nose…owowowow!"

Flashing the fingers of the hand that had just cracked the smug face open, Sam backed up and shook her head. "What am I doing? You're not worth any of this! You call me trash but you're way below me, lady. Pollutive desperation - that's your stench…and you're not worth a second more of my time." She turned to head back towards the other room.

The garbled cry carried across the room, "So help me, Sam, I will get you out of this town if it's the last thing I do!"

Stopping with the door open to look back, all Sam could feel was raw contempt. "Keep coming at me and I promise you it will be!"

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

He paced the motel room aimlessly, lost in deep thought, recalling the morning's events in grave detail. His timely arrival on the docks worked perfectly to Sonny's benefit, affording him the chance to give aid when it was so badly needed. The conversation that followed hadn't gone quite as gratefully as he'd hoped but the outcome at least left him in close proximity, where he could show who he truly was. He hadn't expected the doubts and a fight to get back in - had no clue someone else had lain claim and was already living the life he came for - but he wasn't a calm, cool head for nothing. He would think this latest hiccup all the way through. There was a solution, a way to get his wife, his son, his friends away from him and show him up in the process. It was just going to take some doing.